Now 29, the classy playmaker is determined to help the Socceroos' wave of young guns seize their own opportunities on football's grandest stage.
"You see the young boys coming through, just like I was once young," Hrustic said on Thursday (Friday AEST).
"And I enjoy it. Like, I like having words with them, I do it with most of the boys.
"It's experiencing and enjoying that moment, right?
"The World Cup doesn't come around every day, so you've got to get ready for this one, because it's four years until you get the next one.
"The question is, will you be at the next one? So you've got to enjoy it and really get 100 per cent out of it."
Hrustic raced the clock to reach the 2022 tournament after a serious ankle injury, missed the Socceroos' opener against France then played just 59 total minutes off the bench.
"That's definitely opened my eyes quite a lot. That's why I'm actually really happy to be here," Hrustic said.
"I've taken every training session as my last one, and I try to say: you've got to get 100 per cent out of yourself day by day.
"It doesn't matter if it's a gym session, pitch session, or recovery session. You've just got to enjoy that moment, because you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow.
"It was tough, but look, I don't want to look back to what happened in '22 because a lot happened in that year, and I've come out stronger than ever I'd say.
"... So, look, it's part of life, and it's part of football, just how you bounce back, and how you're going to perform."
In that time, Hrustic has had rough experiences at Italian clubs Hellas Verona and Salernitana, and two stints at Dutch club Heracles Almelo - finding form this season despite the club's relegation.
When asked if he is a better player than back in 2022, Hrustic ponders for a moment, then says he's "more mature" now.
"It's a tough one, it's more like what people don't see behind doors, right? So a lot of stuff happened ... I'm not going to make excuses - I'm just finding a way to bounce back, and that's what I did.
"I went to Heracles for a reason, I started every game, and tried to get back to my best, thought I did well in a tough season for the club and trying to enjoy this moment here, take it day by day."
Going through that rollercoaster has made Hrustic feel well-placed to guide young players like young midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler or attacking sensation Nestory Irankunda.
He's excited by what the second-youngest ever Socceroos World Cup squad with eight players under 23, can do.
"I wish everyone stays healthy and they enjoy their football, because they've got a lot of talent, a lot of the boys," he said.
"There's 17 heading to a first World Cup - so that's a big number, right?
"And then a lot of them are under 25, so I'm seeing another four Cups or three for most of them."
Before the campaign gets underway, Hrustic and his teammates want a strong final warm-up against Switzerland in San Diego on Saturday.
"What I want personally and the team wants is the same," he said.
"You want to finish off on a win, and a great feeling."
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